Player's father rips Lunenburg's response to graffiti

Thursday

Jan 30, 2014 at 10:48 PM

By Paula J. Owen TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

LUNENBURG — The father of a former Lunenburg football player said Thursday night the community his family has lived in for more than 15 years has shown its true colors in the months after racist graffiti was found on their home in November.

Anthony J. Phillips and his 13-year-old son, Isaac, were at the center of what many labeled a hate crime. Mr. Phillips and Isaac's mother, Andrea J. Brazier, told authorities on Nov. 13 that someone spray-painted "Knights don't need n------" on the back of the family's home. Ms. Brazier is white and Mr. Phillips is black.

The Blue Knights are the Lunenburg sports teams.

Shortly after the incident was reported, Mr. Phillips said, community members started turning on the family.

"The past few months have been very difficult for my family," Mr. Phillips said in a statement late Thursday night. "We're glad to hear about recent developments and all the support we've received from outside communities.

"It's unfortunate the community we live in hasn't shown its support and has shown their true colors."

Mr. Phillips' comments came the day after Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.'s office released a statement saying there was not enough evidence to charge anyone with a crime in the graffiti case.

For months preceding the graffiti incident, Isaac's parents allege, he was bullied by Lunenburg football players and school officials did nothing.

Lunenburg School Superintendent Loxi Jo Calmes acknowledged school officials were aware of incidents involving Isaac, but refuse to label them as bullying. In a related matter, Lunenburg's athletic director apologized to Worcester South High Community School football players and coaches for racial slurs directed at them by Lunenburg players at two games on Nov. 1 and Nov. 4.

In light of the events, Ms. Calmes canceled the last two football games of the season for safety reasons, she said. Her decision ignited emotional opposition from football players and their families and some residents turned against the Phillips family.

The football team was the focus of the investigation of the graffiti incident, but police said they could find no conclusive evidence linking current members of the team to the incident.

Then, in December, Ms. Brazier became the focus of the investigation and was named the only graffiti suspect by local police.

Police and the FBI searched the Phillips' home in December looking for "any and all instruments pertaining to the crime" and all paperwork pertaining to Ms. Brazier's handwriting, according to a search warrant dated Dec. 3 out of Fitchburg District Court.

Isaac transferred to the Leominster public school system, where he is attending classes and participating in sports.